Using Matwork in Behaviour Modification
Originally published in the fall 2019 IAABC Journal. Sarah Dixon, CDBC The concept of mat work or place training is nothing new in dog training. However, it remains one of my favorite behaviors to teach because it is very useful for pet owners and extremely versatile in behavior modification…
Danger at the Door
Originally featured in the Summer 2019 IAABC Journal. Click link for full article. Danger at the Door City life is not easy for all dogs. For the outgoing canine “extrovert” it’s a walk in the park — new friends and adventures around every corner. For the more reserved or fearful…
Forget Everything You’ve Heard About Dominance
If your dog tries to ask nicely for space, and no one listens they may learn to eventually resort to “screaming” for their requests for space to be heard. In dog language screaming for space equals barking, lunging, growling, and sometimes aggression. These insecure dogs often get labelled as dominant…
“The Clicker Thing” Really Works!
A few weeks ago I met with a client for a private lesson with her reactive Border Collie, Fred. We’ve been doing lessons for a while now. At that lesson she confessed that for several weeks she had been thinking “this clicker thing” (AKA engage/disengage game) was not going to…
When Medication May Be The Right Choice
Sarah Fulcher, CDBC I recently began working with a very lovely little dog named Lily, a female mixed breed dog who weighs about 25 lbs. She is very affectionate, intelligent and cute, however, she had a very rough start in life. Before she came to her new owners she spent most…
